Mint Chocolate Macaroons Food

MINT CHOCOLATE MACARONS

Steps:

• Before you start, get all of the ingredients ready. Prepare a large piping bag, fitted with a large round tip, I use a 0.5" tip. Set aside.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mat.
• I use a baking mat with the macaron template already in it. You can make your own or print it from the internet, and just place it under silicone mat, or parchment paper. I recommend using a silicone mat.
• Measure out all of the ingredients.
• Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour together. Set aside.
• Place the egg whites and granulated sugar in a heat proof bowl or in a double boiler. Over a pan of simmering water, whisk the whites and sugar until frothy and sugar completely melted. It will take a couple minutes. You can test by touching the mixture between your fingers, and if you feel any sugar granules just keep whisking mixture over the water bath.
• Make sure the bottom of the bowl isn't touching the simmering water.
• Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer.
• With the whisk attachment, start whisking the mixture on low for about 30 seconds, then gradually start increasing speed to medium. Whisk on medium for one to two minutes, until mixture is white and starting to become fluffy. Raise speed to medium-high and finish whipping for a few more minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Best way to check this is to keep your eye on the whites. Once they get glossy and you start seeing streaks formed by the whisk, it might be time to stop.
• Whisk until stiff peaks have formed. When you pull your whip up, the peaks should be shooting straight up, not bent down.
• Pour the sifted powdered sugar and almond flour into stiff whites.
• Start folding gently forming a letter J with a spatula.
• Add the food coloring at this point, if using. In the case of these Mint Macarons, I used two different colors.
• To make the two color shells, follow these instructions.
• Add a little bit of green and teal to the meringue.
• Fold the dry ingredients with the meringue until just incorporated.
• Once you can see no more streaks of dry ingredients in the batter, separate it into two different bowls.
• Cover one bowl with a towel so the batter doesn't start drying, and work with one batch at a time.
• Fold the first batter until it reaches the proper consistency, flowing effortlessly off the spatula. Read below on tips for identifying the right consistency.
• Then, transfer this batter to a piping bag, secure the top so the batter doesn't leak out, and set it aside.
• Next, it's time to color the remaining batter. I wanted to do a swirl effect with a darker green color, so grab the second bowl, and add a bit more green to the batter, to make a stronger more vibrant color. Fold until the proper consistency is achieved, and transfer the batter to another piping bag.
• How to know when to stop folding the batter: It's time to stop folding when the batter is glossy and has a thick and flowing consistency. There are several ways to test this.
• First, pick up some batter with the spatula and try to draw a figure 8 with the batter that is dripping off the spatula. If you can form several 8 figures without the batter breaking up, that's one indication that it might be ready.
• There's another test you can do. I call it the Teaspoon test.
• Grab a teaspoon of batter and spoon onto the parchment paper or silicon mat. Wait a minute to see how it behaves.
• If the batter stays stiff, forming a point and doesn't spread out a bit, start folding a little bit more, about 3 folds.
• Test again.
• Once the batter spreads out a bit and starts to look glossy and smooth on top, on the baking sheet, transfer it to the piping bag.
• You don't want the batter to be too runny either. So be careful not to over mix. It's always best to under mix and test several times until the proper consistency has been achieved.
• The best way I can describe this stage being perfect is when you hold the spatula with batter on top of the bowl and the batter falls off the spatula slowly but effortlessly. The batter will keep flowing off the spatula non-stop, but not too quickly.
• So, when both batters are ready and inside piping bags, snip the end of the piping bags with scissors, and place both piping bags in the piping bag fitted with the large round tip. (watching the video located on this page, or on Youtube will help you see how this was done)
• Place the piping bag containing both batters directly 90 degrees over the center of each macaron template. Apply gentle pressure and carefully pipe for about 3 seconds, and then quickly pull the bag up twisting slightly.
• Once you've piped as many circles as you could, bang the trays against the counter a few times each. This will release air bubbles that are in the batter and prevent your macaron shells from cracking.
• Use a toothpick to pop any air bubbles in the surface of the shells.
• Let the trays sit for a while so the shells will dry out a little bit. I usually leave about 20-40 minutes, depending on how humid the day is. You'll know they're ready when you gently touch the surface of a macaron and it seems dry.
• Pre-heat the oven to 325ºF.
• Bake one tray at a time.
• Bake for 5 minutes, rotate tray.
• I bake each tray for about 18 minutes.
• When baked, the macarons will have a deeper color and formed feet. If you try to move a macaron, it shouldn't feel jiggly. If the macaron is still jiggly, keep baking.
• Remove from the oven and bake the other tray.
• Let the macarons cool down before proceeding with the filling.
• Chop dark chocolate very finely. Place it in a bowl. If you are using chocolate chips no need to chop them, simply place them in a bowl.
• Heat the coconut cream in a small pan over medium heat, or in the microwave. No matter what method you choose, be very careful not to boil the cream.
• Pour hot cream over chopped chocolate. Let it stand for a minute.
• Start whisking gently until completely melted.
• Add the mint extract and stir to combine.
• Let it come to room temperature. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes before using, until it has piping consistency.
• If the ganache stays in the fridge for too long, and it's too thick and hard to pipe, insert it in the microwave for a few quick seconds, and stir it again. Test for consistency and keep going until you achieve the desired consistency.
• To be pipeable, the ganache should be thick, but easy to spread.
• If it happens that the ganache is too thin, you might want to put it in the fridge for a few minutes so it will harden up.
• Place the ganache in a piping bag.
• Pipe a bit of frosting in the middle of each bottom shell.
• Top with another shell.
• If you wish to dip the macarons in chocolate, as I've done with some of mine, first place them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, so the ganache filling will have a chance to set.
• Then remove the macarons from the fridge, melt 3 oz. of chocolate.
• Dip half of each macaron in the chocolate, and then place it on the baking sheet.
• You can also place the melted chocolate in a piping bag and snip the end with scissors, and drizzle on top of the shells, and then top with chopped chocolate.
• Let the macarons chill in the fridge.
• It's always best to let the macarons mature overnight before serving.
• These Mint Macarons will stay well in the fridge for 5 to 7 days, and they will also keep well if frozen for 1 to 2 months, in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE MINT MACARONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in lower third. Place almonds in a food processor; process until as fine as possible, about 1 minute. Add confectioners' sugar; process until combined, about 1 minute.
• Pass almond mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Transfer solids in sieve to food processor; grind and sift again, pressing down on clumps. Repeat until less than 2 tablespoons of solids remains in sieve.
• Whisk egg whites and granulated sugar by hand to combine. Beat on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid) 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high (6) and beat 2 minutes. Then beat on high (8) 2 minutes more.
• The beaten egg whites will hold stiff, glossy peaks when you lift the whisk out of the bowl. Add peppermint extract and food coloring, and beat on highest speed 30 seconds.
• Add dry ingredients all at once. Fold with a spatula from bottom of bowl upward, then press flat side of spatula firmly through middle of mixture. Repeat just until batter flows like lava, 35 to 40 complete strokes.
• Rest a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch round tip (Ateco #804) inside a glass. Transfer batter to bag; secure top. Dab some batter remaining in bowl onto corners of 2 heavy baking sheets; line with parchment.
• With piping tip 1/2 inch above sheet, pipe batter into a 3/4-inch round, then swirl tip off to one side. Repeat, spacing rounds 1 inch apart. Tap sheets firmly against counter 2 or 3 times to release air bubbles.
• Finely grate bittersweet chocolate over half of unbaked rounds.
• Filling: Heat heavy cream in a saucepan until bubbles begin to form. Add bittersweet chocolate and butter; stir to combine. Let cool until thick and spreadable.
• Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until risen and just set, 13 minutes. Let cool. Pipe or spread filling on flat sides of half of cookies; top with remaining half. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.

MACARONS

Steps:

• Place the icing sugar and ground almonds in the bowl of a food processor and pulse about 15 times until fully combined. Sieve this mixture into a large bowl, discarding any particles that stay in the sieve. Add the first batch of egg whites to the almond mixture, mix to form a thick paste and set aside.
• Tip the second batch of egg whites into a spotlessly clean, heatproof bowl and have an electric whisk at the ready. Place 50ml water and the granulated sugar into a small saucepan on medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook until the syrup registers 110C, using a sugar thermometer, at which time start to beat the egg whites on high speed. Once the syrup is at 118C pour it slowly down the side of the mixer bowl, avoiding the moving whisk. Continue to whisk on high until the mixture has cooled slightly and you have a shiny peaked meringue mixture - the bowl should no longer be hot to the touch, but still warm. Add the colouring and whisk to combine.
• Tip the meringue onto the almond mixture and gently fold together. It is important not to over-mix the batter - it should fall in a thick ribbon from the spatula. The ribbon should also fade back into the batter within about 30 secs - if it doesn't, fold a few more times.
• Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3-4. Line three baking sheets with baking parchment. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle. Hold the bag vertically to the tray, with the nozzle about 1cm from it. Pipe rounds about 2.5cm in diameter onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave to rest for 30 mins, or until the macarons have developed a skin.
• Bake the macarons for 14 mins (this needs to be precise, so you could test a macaron first). Immediately slide the parchment onto the work surface and cool for a few minutes before gently peeling the macarons off the paper.
• To make the filling, place the cream in a small saucepan and the chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the cream just to the boil and pour over the chocolate. Leave to stand for a few mins, then stir to combine. Add the butter and stir until smooth, then leave to set until thickened. Place the chocolate mix into a clean piping bag with a smaller nozzle and pipe around the edge of half the macarons. Fill the centre with jam and sandwich with another macaron shell.
• Once finished, the macarons will improve with an overnight rest in the fridge.